I strongly believe in a universal healthcare system that provides access to affordable and quality care for everyone. Labor is the party of Medicare, and we will always protect it. The Coalition has always hated Medicare and in government they underfunded it.
Urgent Care Clinics
We’ve invested over $720 million to establish 87 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics across the country to help ease the burden on EDs and GP Clinics
Cheaper Medicines & GP Visits
We’ve lowered the maximum cost of prescription medication on the PBS to just $31.60, saving Australians more than $250 million in 2023
We’ve introduced 60 day prescriptions for more than 300 medicines on the PBS, saving patients up to $189.60 per medicine per year
We tripled the bulk billing incentive for GPs, helping nearly a million extra patients a month see the doctor for free
Genetic Testing
Together with Macnamara local Dr Jane Tiller, I have been campaigning to ban insurers from using genetic test results to underwrite life insurance contracts
On 11 September 2024, our government announced a total ban on the use of adverse genetic test results by life insurers
During COVID we saw the effects of an under-funded healthcare system. In 2022 Australia elected a government that values universal healthcare. I am proud of the progress we have made in strengthening Medicare. I look forward to ensuring that people in our community, no matter what their income, can access the health care they need, when and where they need it.
Supporting Home Care
We’ve invested $4.3 billion through our new Support at Home Program to help around 1.4 million seniors by 2035 stay in their homes as they age
We’ve capped care management fees at 20% and package management fees at 15%, and banned all exit, brokerage and subcontracting fees
Improving Residential Aged Care
We’ve reintroduced a requirement of 24/7 nurses in nursing homes
We’ve increased the minimum amount of care per day to 215 minutes
We’ve allocated over $20.7 billion to fund a record pay rise for aged care workers
We’ve introduced star ratings for aged care homes to monitor service quality
